Candida auris is a deadly fungus that killed a young man after swimming in a pool.

In Colombia, a 36-year-old man was euthanized due to complications from an infection. fungus Candida aurisHe became infected with this pathogen in poolwhile on holiday in the town of Melgar, five years ago.

Since then he has been engaged in osteomyelitis and blood cancer which finally made him make this decision. It should be noted that good sanitization of the pool would have prevented the presence of infectious levels of this fungus. In addition, Candida auris mainly affects people with suppressed immune systems. If it doesn’t, it usually doesn’t even cause symptoms. The young Colombian was in a wheelchair after an accident in 2015, and he developed complications that meant his defenses weren’t at their best.

In fact, this fungus often wreaks havoc in hospitals, especially in intensive care units. This does not mean that we should take it as a joke. It is a dangerous mushroom. However, the sad outcome of this person is something exceptional due to the combination of several unusual problems. It is nice to know about its existence, but it does not mean that we should be afraid to swim in the pool.

Hidden Danger Candida auris

Usually, Candida auris It does not cause symptoms, and this is its greatest danger. Since people suffering from this disease do not know about it, they can communicate with vulnerable people who are susceptible to this disease. This is what often happens in nursing homes. Staff or even family members of residents can spread the disease. Finally, an elderly person who has previously been ill can become infected. Candida aurisIn this case, it may take some time for the infection to be detected, as is usually the case. It is confused with a bacterial infection.

If chills and fever are not relieved by antibiotics, it can be assumed that it is a fungus, so the disease is treated with antibiotics. antifungal agentsThe problem is that Candida auris does not respond to these antifungal drugs. It is up to the immune system to eliminate it. If you fail to do this because you are not strong enough, the infection can get into the blood and become more complex until death occurs.

What happened to the Colombian boy?

In the case of the young Colombian, the infection Candida auris He did not kill him directly. However, there were so many complications that he could not stand it and decided to ask for euthanasia. Among them was bone infectionknown as osteomyelitis.

If the infection is caused by bacteria, the affected areas of the bone are removed and then antibiotic treatment is prescribed. However, in case Candida auris It is impossible to eradicate it completely, so it is possible that this patient underwent several surgeries and yet the infection continued to progress.

All this deterioration will further affect him immune systemcontributing to the development of blood cancer, which further aggravated his illness.

Why was I Candida auris in the pool?

In fact Candida auris It can be found in many places. The thing is, we usually don’t even realize it. In public pools where many people swim, asymptomatic patients can cause massive proliferation of the fungus.

It is therefore important that the water is treated correctly. It is true that there are pathogens that are resistant to chlorine. However, at the appropriate levels of this substance, the fungi should not reach alarming concentrations. In fact, chlorine-based disinfectants such as bleach are often used in hospitals to prevent the spread of Candida auris on surfaces.

It is possible that the Melgar pool, where the recently euthanized patient was infected, did not have adequate safety measures. Therefore, if we swim in one of these places, it is advisable to check that everything is properly cleaned. The point is not to be afraid of pools, but to not swim in any of them.